Beware: Here are some common South Carolina phone scams, how to spot them

Here are some of the common phone scams and what you can do to notice and avoid them.
Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride is warning residents of a scam targeting local residents by claiming they missed jury duty and now need to pay.
Deputies do not handle money in Anderson County, that goes through the court system.
Mike Ellis/Independent Mail

Chad McBride, Anderson County Sheriff, during the 40th annual The Peoples Bank Midnight Flight in Anderson on Friday, August 25.(Photo: KEN RUINARD/INDEPENDENT-MAIL)

The caller on the other end will say you've missed jury duty and need to pay a fine over the phone, but it is a scam, Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride said.

He warned people, through his official Facebook page Saturday, about scammers who are posing as Sheriff's Office employees. The scammers will set up voice mail messages similar to legitimate deputies and use phone numbers to make it appear real, McBride said.

But it is not real.

Deputies won't call ahead about warrants, McBridge said. They'll show up or people can turn themselves in, he said. The court system handles payments.

South Carolina residents reported 757 scams in the first half of 2017, according to the state's Department of Consumer Affairs. Many more do not get reported.

Residents said they lost $753,643 in the scams. People who did not fall for the scams, but reported them anyway, would have lost about the same amount.